Lawyer lands 'good deal' on new Ferrari after flood mishap

The owner of a silver Ferrari abandoned in a flood-prone downtown Toronto tunnel last month will soon be revving the engine on a new 2014 vehicle thanks to publicity generated by a famed photo of his car in over a metre of water.

"RSA (Insurance) Group came through, they paid 100 per cent of the loss, and Ferrari thought it was great publicity and gave me a very good deal," said lawyer Howard Levitt, whose 2010 two-door sports car was photographed in an idle pool of water in a Lower Simcoe Street underpass after a record rainfall drenched the Greater Toronto Area on July 8.

'If I had not left the car when I did ...I would have drowned.'—Howard Levitt, Toronto lawyer

Levitt said he narrowly escaped from his car as the underpass south of Front Street quickly flooded when a water main broke.

"If I had not left the car when I did ...I would have drowned," said Levitt, describing how cellphone lines were jammed that night as he attempted to call 911 for assistance.

A brief downpour during the early evening hours on Tuesday created a similar scene at Lower Simcoe as two Beck taxi cabs stalled in the middle of the tunnel with passengers inside.

Toronto fire Capt. Murray Manson described the tunnel as a "dangerous" and a "problem" area most likely due to its proximity to Lake Ontario.

Levitt said he was told the same thing the night of his own incident.

• Can Toronto handle its weather?
• Toronto underpass flooding leads to Beck taxi rescue

"The officer that night told me it happens anytime there's any kind of rain," Levitt said.

A review of the sewer system at Lower Simcoe has been ordered and Coun. Janet Davis said the city needs to make some hard choices about a $1.7 billion water repair backlog.

"We don't borrow money for water infrastructure, we don't use property taxes for water infrastructure, we need to look at development charges," Davis said.

"I think there's a real recognition here that there is a problem and that we have to come up with more revenues to address it."

SOURCE : CBC

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What role might Canada play in any strikes against Syria?

While Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed that “a firm response” to the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria is needed, it’s unclear whether Canada’s military will be part of any foreign military intervention.

Retired major-general Lewis Mackenzie says the Canadian Forces do not have enough personnel or planes in the region, and only one warship nearby, in the Arabian Sea.

He says that, considering that the United States appears to laying the groundwork for a strike in the coming days, there would not be enough time for Canada to assemble resources in the region. The U.S., meanwhile, already has warships in the Mediterranean as well as an air base on Cyprus, 200 kilometres from the Syrian coast.

Mackenzie says, at this point, there’s no requirement for additional ships in the eastern Mediterranean, and it’s unlikely that there will be a need for special forces on the ground.

“So I think Canada’s role is going to continue to be – and I would certainly endorse this – a sort of moral support, and political support,” Mackenzie told CTV’s Canada AM Wednesday from Ottawa.

CTV’s Mercedes Stephenson reports that the Canadian Forces have not received political direction to prepare for a strike, but sources tell her they are keen and ready to play some role.

The U.S. has been seeking support for military action from Western allies including Britain and France, as well as regional organizations such as the 22-member Arab League, which has signalled its interest in justice for victims of alleged chemical weapons attacks.

The U.S., Britain and France have made it clear they believe the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was behind the purported Aug. 21 chemical attack that killed hundreds in the suburbs of Damascus. They have said such an act demands a swift international response.

U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said U.S. forces have “moved assets” to the region to allow for any action that Obama might authorize.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging the global community to give UN chemical weapons experts on the ground in Syria the time they need to complete their investigation of the alleged Damascus attack.

On Wednesday, United Nations' special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said that evidence gathered so far suggests some kind of chemical "substance" was used. But he too said that any military strike must first gain UN Security Council approval.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is promising that Britain will propose a resolution at the UN Security Council Wednesday, seeking authority to take "necessary measures" to protect Syrian civilians.

Russia continues to vigorously oppose such action and is likely to block UN approval.

‘Neither side will win’

Mackenzie anticipates that any military action will likely involve intense missile strikes against Syrian command and control centres, intelligence centres, and some delivery systems, “from submarines, ships off shore, obviously, and perhaps air (strikes).”

While some have recommended that Syria’s chemical weapons sites be targeted as well, Mackenzie said that “bizarre suggestion” would risk releasing toxins into the air.

Mackenzie, who led a UN peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, added that he thinks the anticipated action against Syria is unique, in that it doesn’t yet have a clear objective or endpoint.

“We’re about to experience, it would seem, a unique phase of military history, and that is an intervention planned by a superpower— or probably a coalition of the willing -- and the result they want is that neither side will win. The rebels won’t win and Assad won’t win,” Mackenzie said.

“So that means that what we’re going to have is a ‘spanking,’ I would call it, of the Assad regime. But yet not so tough that the regime would lose to the rebels, because both results are really bad for the West, in particular.”

SOURCE : Ctvnews

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27 dead in twin explosions

 

At least 27 people have been killed and a further 350 injured in two explosions in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli.

As Friday prayers ended, a blast hit the al-Taqwa mosque. A second blast five minutes later hit the al-Salam mosque.

Sectarian tensions between the city's Sunni Muslim and Alawite communities have increased in recent months due to war in neighbouring Syria.

Sheikh Salem Rafii is one of the most prominent Sunni leaders in Lebanon, usually attends the mosques and security officials believe that he was the possible target of the attack. He is opposed to Lebanon's militant Shia Hezbollah group and has previously urged the country's young men to join opposition fighters in Syria.

Ambulances rushed to the aftermath of the blasts and heavy black smoke covered the sky. Television pictures showed damaged cars on fire, with their windows smashed, and people running through the streets trying to carry wounded people to safety.

Bodies could be seen on the ground and windows were broken on surrounding apartment blocks.

The Associated Press reported that the preacher at the al-Salam mosque - the site of the second explosion - is also an opponent of the Syrian government and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.

No group has taken responsibility for the latest attacks.

Tripoli, a city of nearly 200,000 people and Lebanon's second largest, is one of the country's most volatile sectarian fault lines, with a small Alawite population living in the midst of a Sunni majority.

The Alawite community tend to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with Sunnis mostly backing the rebels fighting him.

The bombs come a week after a massive car bomb rocked a Shia district of Beirut, leaving dozens dead. The area hit contained Hezbollah strongholds.

SOURCE : di-ve

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Air Canada bans unruly passenger for life

Top court won't hear appeal from man who says employee was 'uncompromising'

QMI Agency

First posted: Thursday, August 22, 2013 12:49 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, August 22, 2013 12:57 PM EDT 

 

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider the appeal of a Montreal man who was banned for life by Air Canada for threatening airline employees after he missed his flight.
Guillaume Boutin filed a grievance with the Canadian Transportation Agency asking that the travel ban be lifted, and he requested compensation in the amount of $30,000 for "moral damages and trouble and inconvenience" as well as a letter of apology, CTA documents say.
Boutin said he and a companion missed their flight from Cancun to Montreal on Feb. 29, 2012, because the airline "misinformed" them about the boarding time. He also said an Air Canada employee was "uncompromising, very rude and arrogant" when he tried to arrange an alternative flight and ultimately had to pay extra and fly out the next day.
Air Canada said Boutin was "aggressive," used "abusive and vulgar language" and threatened the agent and the supervisor. The airline said he "represented a danger to other passengers" and sent him a letter notifying him he could no longer travel with Air Canada.
Boutin admits he was upset and did complain "forcefully," the CTA documents say, but he maintains he never swore and didn't make any offending gesture.
The CTA dismissed his complaint in November 2012, finding that Air Canada did not contravene its terms and conditions. That decision was backed by the Federal Court of Appeal in March 2013.

SOURCE : Torontosun

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End Of Summer Travel: 10 PlacesTo Visit Before The Start Of Fall

Swim With The Whale Sharks In Cancun
Available until mid-September, Cancun visitors can have the breathtaking experience of swimming with whale sharks, the world’s largest fish species, in the Caribbean’s warm waters.

Here’s how your adventure might unfold if you were staying, say, at the Moon Palace Golf Spa and Resort. Get up at 6:30 am and take a half-hour drive to the Dreams Cancun resort in the hotel zone of this coastal Mexican city. After a safety briefing atSolo Buceo, the on-site dive operator, board a motorboat and journey 90 minutes across the waves to the whale shark feeding grounds.

Snorkeling alongside a veteran guide, you’ll marvel at these broad-faced beasts of the deep, known to grow up to 18 metres in length. Watch as they vacuum up plankton with their gaping mouths while enormous sting rays and sea turtles loom into view and you've got an unforgettable experience.

Frolic At The Tivoli Gardens In Copenhagen
Colourful, glowing lamps and beautiful flower gardens create the perfect ambience for a relaxing summer at the 21-acre Tivoli Gardens. Founded in 1843 in the capital of Denmark, the Tivoli Gardens remains Scandinavia’s most popular theme park and its outdoor concerts have everyone from Sting to the Smashing Pumpkins. Enjoy the thrills of Rutschebanen, the 1914-built wooden roller coaster, or dig into sweet traditional pancakes at Petzi’s Pancake House.

Visit The Harley Davidson Museum In Milwaukee
For generations of North Americans, riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle has symbolized the freedom of the open road in summertime.

Founded in 2008, the Harley Davidson Museum in Wisconsin’s largest city enables visitors to view up to 500 gleaming, historic ‘Hogs, try a virtual riding experience, or buy anything from branded golf balls to leather jackets at the gift shop.

From Aug. 29 to 31, the company will celebrate its 110th anniversary in Milwaukee with a parade, special group rides, street parties, and Aerosmith and Kid Rock concerts.

Enjoy A Craft Beer Tasting Tour In Portland

Denver, Colorado might argue otherwise, but Portland, Oregon can stake its claim as the craft beer capital of the United States. Want proof? Take a Pubs of Portland tour with Marc C. Martin, a 25-year veteran of the local microbrewing scene.

Travelling via the city’s light rail system on your five-hour, $30 tour, you’ll sample some perfect summer brews. Drain a fruity Saison at Rock Bottom Brewery, housed in an Italian Renaissance-style building. Try a hoppy, but gluten-free Northwest Pale Ale at Deschutes Brewery -- possibly Portland’s most beautiful brew pub, decorated with carved wooden herons and otters. Finish with an essential stop at Bridgeport Brew Pub: their IPA is the city’s best-selling beer.

Party At A Music Festival In London
The weekend of Aug. 23-25 is magical for music lovers in the London area. TheReading Festival, held about 60 kilometres west of the British capital, is the world’s oldest ongoing pop music festival. This year, headliners include Green Day, Eminem, and Nine Inch Nails.

If you prefer electronic dance music, get your groove on at South West Four, staged at Clapham Common in London. The lineup features high-profile DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Armin van Buuren.

Attend The Pacific National Exhibition Fair In Vancouver
For summertime family fun, it’s hard to beat the Pacific National Exhibition, Running from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2, attendees can guzzle cinnamon-coated mini-donuts, ride the swinging pirate ship or the 1958-built wooden roller coaster, and check out those cute cows, pigs, and sheep.

Unique to this year is a special exhibition on Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan. There's also nightly pop concerts (free with your $16 admission) include the Beach Boys (Aug. 23), Foreigner (Aug. 27), and REO Speedwagon (Aug. 31).

Explore The Athabasca Glacier In Alberta
Eager to cool off from the heat amid Canada’s Rocky Mountains? The Athabasca Glacier, a four-hour drive from Calgary, Alberta on the Icefields Parkway, can be accessed courtesy of Brewster Sightseeing Excursions.

To start your one-and-a-half narrated expedition, board a 60,000-pound Ice Explorer vehicle. Gaze at the hanging glacier and 10,000-odd crevasses as you climb up this majestic blue-grey landmark. At the top, enjoy a refreshing drink from a glacial stream before heading back down.

Relax On The Island Of Moorea In French Polynesia
Moorea is an incredible, greenery-laden oasis, and it’s just a half-hour ride away on the Aremiti 5 ferry from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia on the island of Tahiti.

Check into the luxurious Intercontinental Moorea Resort, and snorkel in the lagoon. Sample banana liqueur at the Jus de Fruits de Moorea distillery. Go jet-skiing in Opunohu Bay, where Captain James Cook anchored in 1769. Or watch traditional dancing while feasting on roast pork at the Tiki Village.

Take An Alaska Cruise From Seattle
The majesty of Alaska comes alive on a seven-day West Coast cruise out of Seattle. You could, for instance, board Holland America’s ms Westerdam on August 31.

Once on board, you can marvel at huge glaciers calving in Glacier Bay, shop for dazzling diamonds in Juneau, and check out giant crabs and bald eagles on the dramatic Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s tour in Ketchikan. Devouring eggs Benedict and rack of lamb at the on-board restaurants and catching nightly concerts and comedy shows augments the fun

Go Fishing At The West Coast Fishing Club In Haida Gwaii
Nothing says summer like fishing. If you crave an upscale sport fishing option, theWest Coast Fishing Club awaits. Located in the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of British Columbia, this luxurious lodge on Langara Island is two hours from Vancouver via plane and helicopter.

Head out in a Boston Whaler Guardian guide boat and catch a 50-pound chinook salmon. View Haida totem poles on nearby Graham Island. Feast on shellfish and steak for dinner. Enjoy a massage at the lodge’s spa before retiring to your suite with an ensuite bathroom and a beautiful Pacific Ocean view.

SOURCE : Huffingtonpost

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Toronto police officer Forcillo charged in Sammy Yatim streetcar shooting arrives at court

Toronto Police Constable James Forcillo, near, arrives at Old City Hall in Toronto on Aug. 20, 2013 after surrendering to police on a second degree murder charge laid by the SIU that stems from the shooting death of Sammy Yatim.

 Constable James Forcillo, the Toronto police officer charged in the death of a teenager who brandished a small knife on a streetcar, has surrendered himself into police custody this morning.

Constable Forcillo arrived at Old City Hall for his first court appearance to schedule a bail hearing at 8:20 a.m. in a white, unmarked van with tinted windows. He looked straight ahead as the van drove towards the rear of the courthouse through a number of journalists trying to get pictures through the windows. Wearing a black suit and a blue tie, Constable Forcillo was seated in the second-row of the van, accompanied by at least four other men wearing suits.

Constable Forcillo’s lawyer, Peter Brauti, and Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said the officer will appear very briefly in court at Old City Hall shortly, but that he will be moved to 361 University for another court appearance. Mr. Brauti said he hopes the court schedule allows for his client to stand before a judge for a bail hearing today, but it’s unclear at this time whether the hearing will, indeed, occur today.

“Whether we can get time today is up in the air,” he said, adding that he’ll be at the University courthouse for 2 p.m. in the hopes he can be heard.

Other than outlining these initial procedural aspects of the case and what might happen today, Mr. Brauti said he would not provide comment – neither on where his client was arrested earlier today, nor how Constable Forcillo is faring.

Constable Forcillo was the sole subject of an investigation by the Special Investigations Unit, a provincial agency that probes civilian deaths involving police. The investigation concluded yesterday with SIU director, Ian Scott laying a second-degree murder charge against Constable Forcillo.

The charge is in connection to the July 26 incident when Sammy Yatim, 18, pulled out a three-inch blade on a westbound Dundas streetcar near Trinity Bellwoods Park. The passengers and driver fled the vehicle unharmed leaving Mr. Yatim behind. When police arrived, a witness video of the incident shows a verbal interaction between Mr. Yatim and officers on the ground. The teen can be seen taking a step forward at which time an officer fires three gun shots at Mr. Yatim, at which point he falls to the floor. After a pause, six more shots are fired at Mr. Yatim. Following this, an officer can be heard using a taser in the video.
The SIU did not investigate the officer who deployed the taser because it determined only one officer contributed to Mr. Yatim’s death.

Yesterday, Mr. Yatim’s family released a statement to say they were relieved with news of the second-degree murder charge laid against Constable Forcillo. While they have said consistently since his death that they bear no “ill will” against police officers in general, their statement yesterday was critical of all the officers who were on the scene at the time of the shooting.

“Our family hopes that the SIU investigation will continue looking into the actions of the supervising police officer(s) and the other officers in attendance for their lack of intervention in this tragedy,” read the statement. “Over 20 uniformed police officers were present and no one stepped forward to stop the gun shots or offer any mediation. Moving forward we expect complete transparency and accountability.”
 
Constable Forcillo is the second Toronto police officer to be charged with murder by the SIU in its 23-year history. He has been suspended with pay since Mr. Yatim’s death.


Source : TheGlobeAndmail

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Canada falling behind in Arctic shipping

Russia is '50 years ahead' in terms of infrastructure along Northern Sea Route

The Canadian Press

Posted: Aug 19, 2013 10:05 AM ET 

Last Updated: Aug 19, 2013 12:38 PM ET

Baffin Bay in 2008. Canada may be missing the boat on using Arctic shipping to encourage development at the same time Russia steams ahead on its own northern waters, some experts say. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

 

Canada may be missing the boat on using Arctic shipping to encourage development at the same time Russia steams ahead on its own northern waters.
"At this stage, we're not really in the game," said John Higginbotham, a Carleton University professor and former Transport Canada deputy minister.
"The marathon started some time ago, but we haven't sent in our application yet."

Huge potential

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes his annual visit to the North to observe military exercises, Arctic experts suggest he would be wise to also take a look at what's happening in Russia. Shipping on that country's Northern Sea Route across the top of the continent is booming and hauling resource projects in the Russian North along with it.
"I had an email from someone from a Greek shipping company a few days ago who commented that Russia is actually 50 years ahead of any Arctic country in terms of seizing on the opportunity," said Michael Byers, author of a forthcoming book on international law and the Arctic.

• Analysis: Harper's Northern tour as much about politics as policy
• Melting sea ice heats up Northwest Passage dreams

The contrasts are stark.
A total of 421 commercial vessels have applied for permission this season to use Russia's Northern Sea Route, which cuts days off the shipping time between Asia and northern Europe. They will be aided by nearly two dozen icebreakers and protected by a string of 10 up-to-date search-and-rescue centres along the route.
Ports are being upgraded. Sea lanes are well-understood and comprehensively mapped. Co-operation with maritime neighbours such as Norway is strong.
Canada has no Arctic commercial ports. Mapping is so poor that cruise ships have run aground and captains use old Soviet-era charts to supplement Canadian ones. The Coast Guard's six icebreakers are not available to accompany routine commercial voyages.

Outdated infrastructure

Arctic search and rescue remains based in southern Ontario and depends on planes that were scheduled to have been replaced long ago. And disputes with the United States about border issues and the status of the Northwest Passage add legal uncertainty for shippers.
Only 61 tankers and cargo ships entered the Canadian Arctic last season, most of them related to community resupply. Crossing the Northwest Passage remains largely a goal for adventurers — including, this summer, two crews in rowboats.
Russia is starting to see the benefits, said Byers, who is a professor at the University of British Columbia.
A ship passes through Norwegian waters in the Arctic. (Balazs Koranyi/Reuters)Shippers are paying fees, which helps defray costs of the improved sea route. And the busier transportation corridor is already starting to stimulate development inland.
A railroad between Russia's mineral-rich interior to its Arctic coast is planned. Liquid natural gas facilities on the coast are also slated.
"There's a clear link between the Northern Sea Route as the international cargo route and the focus on the economic development of northern Russia," Byers said.

Russian priority

Higginbotham, who oversaw a billion dollars worth of federal spending on the Asia-Pacific Gateway transport project to boost trade with the East, said the Arctic is a clear priority for Russian president Vladimir Putin.
"It's part of the renaissance of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The opening of the Arctic, I think, Putin sees as one of his half-dozen highest priorities in terms of restoring Russian greatness.
"I'm pretty familiar with what an active strategy to use transport to drive development looks like, and I don't see any sign of that in either the U.S.A. or Canada."
Byers said the case is strong for increased spending on all northern transportation links, including the Northwest Passage.
"You can be a Nervous Nellie and say we might make economic investments that don't pay off, at least not in the short term. But we build highways and railroads and ports and airports in southern Canada on the basis of projected and desired increases.
"The Russians are building their Arctic gateway right now," said Byers. "A 10-fold increase in shipping volumes over four years speaks volumes to how prescient the Russian government has been."

Source : CBC

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